Washboard.



No- 807,979. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. A. H. WEST.

WASHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. 1904.

nventor,

6125 W635, I W b8 '1 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WASHBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed November 30, 1904. Serial No. 234,941.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ASA HENRY WEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedarbluif, in the county of T azewell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful \Vashboard, of which the following is a specificati-on.

This invention relates to washboards, and has for its object to improve the construction and increase the efliciency and likewise decrease the cost of manufacturing devices of this character.

WVith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, as

hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is afront elevation of the improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with one of the stiles removed, illustrating the construction. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 4 4; of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 represent modified forms of the construction.

The improved washboard comprises a body member 10, having a fiat unbroken surface and with the stiles 11 12 and head member 13 of the usual form, the stiles extending below the lower edge of the body member to support the rubbing surface above the bottom of the tub and the head member provided with a soap-supporting cleat 14. The side edges of the body member 10 are inclined, as at 15 16, and within the inclined portions and next to the stiles spaced notches 17 18 are formed, the notches being thus closed by the stiles.

The rubbing-surface of the board is formed by a plurality of wires 19, tightly strained transversely of the flat surface of the member 10 and within the notches 17 18 and spaced apart thereby, and thus bearing upon the member 10 throughout its whole width and also over the inclined portions 15 16 The wire employed will be of relatively large size and galvanized or otherwise protected from corrosion and will possess a large meas ure of resiliency, so that the wires will yield to a limited extent to pressure imparted longitudinally of the member 10 in the act of rubbing the clothes and drawing them back and forth over the rubbing-surface; but it will be obvious that the wires will not yield inwardly or toward the rigid body 10 over which they are tightly strained. This slight yielding to the rubbing action materially imroves the action and renders the work less fatiguing to the operator.

The inclined portions 15 16 of the member 10 are an important feature of the invention, as they materially assist in the straining of the wires 19 and insure a more rigid bearing upon the flat surface between them.

The wire members 19 will preferably be formed from one continuous wire wrapped around and around the body member and within the notches, and thus uniformly spaced by the latter and strained tightly in position by any approved and suitable implement.

In the act of rubbing the garments upon a board constructed as above described the wires 19 engaging the flat surface of the member 10 closely retain a certain amount of the water and retard the downward flow, thus retaining it for a longer period in contact with the clothes and materially increasing the beneficial effects. At the same time as the rubbing action is imparted the tightlystrained wires yield to a limited extent both at the downward and upward strokes, and thus relieve the strains and decrease the wearing effect upon the clothes, while at the same time not decreasing the rubbing action. When the strains are removed at the terminations of the strokes, the release of the wires will cause them in suddenly returning to their normal positions to throw the water with considerable force against the clothes and drive it through them, and thus materially increase the cleansing action.

It will thus be obvious that a simply-constructed, strong, and durable washboard is produced of great efliciency and rapidity of action.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a slight modification in the construction is shown, consisting in forming the combined spacing and wire -holding notches in a continuous metal strip 20, attached, as with screws 22, to the inclined portions 15 16 of the member 10 but this would not be a departure from the principle of the invention, as the same results are produced thereby and in substantially the same manner.

The member 10 will generally be of Wood, and to prevent the wires 19 from cutting into the wood metal wear-plates may be employed in the notches 17 18, as shown at 21 in igs. 5 and 6.

The member 10 will preferably be disposed with the grain of the wood transversely of the board, so that the notches are in the ends of the wood and the strains of the wires at all times in alinement with the grain of the wood, so that in event of the shrinking of the wood the wires will not become loosened, as the wood will not shrinkperceptibly endwise of the grain.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a washboard, a body member having the portions of the surface next the side edges inclined and the intermediate portion of the surface flat and unbroken, and with spaced notches in said inclined edges, and a rubbingsurface formed of wire members strained tightly transversely of said flat surface and within said notches and spaced thereby and bearing upon the entire width of the flat surface and the inclined portions of the same.

2. In a washboard, a body member having the portions of the surface next the side edges inclined and the intermediate portion of the surface flat and unbroken, and with spaced notches in said edges, side members connected longitudinally of said body member and forming closures to said notches and project ing in advance of said fiat surface, and wire members strained tightly transversely of said flat surface and Within said notches being spaced thereby and bearing upon the entire width of the fiat surface and the inclined portions of the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ASA HENRY WEST.

IVitnesses:

E. J. BOYD, E. H. 800m. 

